My first reaction was "oh no so sour." But it's grown on me. Smooth, dark brown with a hint of red, no carbonation. Rich mouth. Very sour on first taste with a sweet finish that balances it out. I wouldn't drink it every day but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Came in a small fliptop bottle (I like these bottles for bottling homebrew gifts)Poured into an Allagash goblet.A direct smell of pickled, burnt cabbage soaked in rubbing alcohol permeated the air surrounding. My wife, who doesn't drink, exclaimed, "WHAT IS THAT SMELL?"She insisted that the smell couldn't be beer as it was unlike any beer she had smelled before.But, undeterred by the wretched and revolting "aroma", I took a deep swig.A long-forgotten but instantly remembered taste of gin vomit I had puked up during a high school binge-drinking session flooded my senses. Only this was far worse!I fear that this bottle had somehow become infected by some mutant bacterial fungus, or worse, Satan purposely urinated into the brew vat, fouling the whole batch up.At any rate, if you must buy a bottle, you should purchase a HAZMAT suit and gas mask, then just pour it into an open sewer.

On the heels of the BFM version, Terrapin's collaboration Barleywine takes a more common flavor profile. Where that first one was sour and acidic, this one made with Terrapin's more traditional yeast gives the ale a succulent and sultry profile.

The ale pours with a heavy visual weight. Its slow separation of ale from froth reveals a tawny-brown body underneath with ribbons of mahogany and rust. What forms on top is a dense meringue of sandy-tan foam that sticks around for half the session with subtle lacing. The ale takes on brandy-like proportions as much as it does beer.

Then to taste, the beer's robust sweetness really opens up- toffee and maple seduce the front of the tongue with its moderate syrupy character. Dark fruits of plumb, fig and date- as the alcohol spice add complexity, it's not so much bourbon as it is spiced rum and sherry wine. Its savory flavors are balanced ever so slightly with herbal tea-like flavors, wood spice and toasty grains.

Its mouthfeel is lightly creamy and firmly chewy. Dense and deliberate, the beer's light carbonation allows the ale to sit weightily on the tongue in order to saturation the taste buds fully with its sweet booziness. Finishing with a long and sweet linger, the beer's aftertaste extends well into the next sip.

Seriously meant for after dinner sipping, the ale is heavily dessert-like and practically begs for a pairing with Stilton Blue cheese.